brussels attacks in a moment. the latest information overnight we'll have for you. first, a quick check of weather and traffic. chris cimino here with a look at our wednesday forecast. chris. >> good morning, michael and kerry. temperatures warmer. even across the suburbs. western sections of suffolk county. 48 in sayville and 47 in selden. in the city, back at the 50-degree mark. it is chillier in central portions of new jersey with the skies cleared out. down to the 30s in bridgewater. the hudson valley in the 40s. you see patchy cloud cover. but the clouds tend to thin out from time to time today allowing for breaks of sunshine. you'll see to the west, while there's a fair amount of cloud cover here, the shower activity stays to the north. you could see a little sprinkle well to the upper hudson valley at some point. outdoor lunch a possibility. may get breezy and up to 60 at that point. forecasting a high of 70 this afternoon. not bad at all. let's find out about the commute. it's not bad at all. >> it's a little tough in spots.

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outbound george washington bridge. upper in the clearing stages. you have this disabled tractor-trailer cross bronx eastbound around jerome in the right lane. you can see how slow it is. a look at the alexander hamilton bridge, traffic is headed towards that disabled truck. it's not going anywhere fast. it's going to be a tough go eastbound. grand central parkway, an overturned vehicle at kew gardens interchange. it's cleared. in new jersey, berkeley township, route 9 is closed. that's due to a downed pole. more weather and traffic on the 4s. >> emily, thank you very much. the latest on the terror attack in brussels. many details coming in about the three men believed to be behind the bombings at the brussels airport. at least 31 people confirmed dead at this point. that number could rise. the chaos following the attacks, investigators don't have an exact number. at least two others were injured

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station with the steps being taken to keep everyone here safe. we're going to start with tracie strahan with the latest on the investigation overnight. tracie, the video came out, surveillance video of the three suspects. >> that's right, michael. they were known to authorities. now, we know the identity of those alleged bombers. we want to show you now the photos. the man there in the light-colored coat is on the run at this hour. he's 24-year-old najim laachraoui. he's a suspected jihadist. authorities say he was with ibrahim and khalid -- detonated two suicide bombs at the airport. the manhunt for laachraoui led to a series of police raids overnight turning up another bomb, an islamic state flag and bomb-making chemicals in a borough of schar beak. incoming and outgoing flights at this point. hundreds trying to recover from injuries caused by shattered

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possibly packed into explosives. there are a number of passengers still missing this morning. meanwhile, memorials are growing in honor of the victims of tuesday's terror attacks in brussels. the belgian flag is flying at half-staff. isis claimed responsibility for the explosions that rocked the airport. it led to heightened security across belgium. isis warned of, quote, black days across europe. the suspects involved in the airport bombing did have criminal pasts, but never anything connected to terrorism. back to you. tracie, thank you very much. right now, news 4's pei-sze cheng is on her way to brussels. she filed this report overnight. >> hi, i'm pei-sze cheng. we just landed here in paris. we're in the airport here. we haven't seen a ton of the heightened security we were

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we're just stopping here and hop into a car and drive to brussels. one thing we noticed was on the flight here we took an american airlines flight. it seemed to be pretty sparse. there weren't a ton of people. a lot of people got to take a few extra seats. we're not sure if that has anything to do with the events of yesterday. we took some pictures of that for you to look at. you can count on us to be your eyes on the ground. we're going to give you continuous live coverage of the aftermath of the terror attacks in brussels. stay with nbc 4 new york and nbc news for the latest information. back to you. >> stay with us throughout the day for updates and live reports. as soon as they arrive in brussels. >> immediately following the attacks, a noticeable change in security at home. security tight everywhere you look. nowhere has that been more evident than airports. apparently a stark contrast to what pei-sze is seeing in paris.

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that security. "today in new york's" katherine creag is at penn station with what commuters there will see this morning. kat? >> reporter: speaking of the airports, kerry, we saw national guardsmen and women and members station. extra police officers as well. all of these various transportation hubs. you'll see extra police officers, counterterrorism officers devoted to keeping everyone safe. the nypd and port authority increased security at airports, subway stations, bus stops and tunnels and bridges and landmarks. the nypd has a dog that smells bomb-making vapors on people even when they're walking by or standing still. a commuter we just talked with says it's a part of life now to have so much more security than before. >> i travel a lot. it's a part of our new reality, unfortunately. >> you see a package unattended or someone acting in a way that's troubling, inform a

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call 911. >> reporter: that was mayor de blasio reminding people to contact a police officer. you will see a lot of them. until further notice, if you see something or someone that looks suspicious, something the mayor and commissioner bratton talked 911 either. there were several americans in the attacks in brussels. including a teen who has now had his third encounter with a 19-year-old. he's recovering from second degree burns. he was also hit by shrapnel at the brussels airport. he was with several other mormon missionaries hurt as well. mason's dad says he was a block away from the boston bombing when that happened. and he was in paris last year in november during that attack as well. >> i think that experience of the chaos and civil unrest prepared mason for whatever he experienced today.

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waited for news from their loved ones. janet cleary saw video of her daughter running for safety in the brussels airport. can you imagine? she got a call early in the morning learning thankfully, that her daughter and her friends were safe. as you can imagine, tributes to the victims are growing here and around the world. the empire state building remained dark last night. the new eiffel tower in paris illuminated in the black, yellow and and red of the rel january belgian flag. flags flew at half-staff over britain's 10 downing street and 1600 pennsylvania avenue. of course, the white house. belgium has dee layered three days of mourning. we've been updating the story since yesterday morning. stay with us on the air and online any time for the latest on the attacks. you can o download the nshs new york app for the latest alerts. it's 5:07. time for a check of weather and traffic. good morning, chris. >> good morning, kerry. back to above normal

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couple of days here. that's good news. in fact, well above normal today. no, sir at chis i to lly to start the morning. still a few pockets of 30 azs. much milder, to 65 or 70 should cover most of us with that southwest wind. gets busy at times to 10 to 20 miles per hour. first forecast, 50 degrees, warm spot in the city. most of the suburbs in the lower 40s. we go to 60 by noon. mix of sun and clouds by noon. 68 at 3:00. that's going to feel good. forecasting a high of 70. changes in the seven-day. we'll talk about that. easter forecast too. talk about the commute. here's emily. >> the subways look good, chris. everything is fine. commuter checklist starting off okay. should have a nice ride as you head up to the platforms this morning. with the buses we have detours. several detours on new york city buses. if this is your line, keep that in mind. new jersey transit, one detour.

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doing well. more weather and traffic on the 4s. emily, thank you. it is 5:08. now to the race for the white house. ted cruz pulling out a win in the utah caucuses and donald trump took arizona. on the democratic side, hillary clinton's only win of the night came in arizona. bernie sanders winning in both utah and in idaho. he still, though, trails clinton in total delegates by about 300. the two democrats will go up against one another next in washington, hawaii and alaska. those are on saturday. the candidates running for president weighing in on the terror attacks in brussels. ted cruz's proposal to patrol muslim neighborhoods drew the most criticism from new york city leaders. >> we need to be directing our efforts at stopping that from happening, stopping isolated communities from festering jihadists. >> i have to say it's reprehensible.

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it's demagoguery. >> we don't need a president that doesn't respect the values that form the foundation of this country. >> republican front-runner donald trump said that he agreed with cruz 100%. he told the "today" show that belgian authorities should water board and do more to thwart future attacks. >> clinton condemned that and sanders called is unconstitutional and wrong. a fire that destroyed a historic church in new jersey. fire started about 7:00 last night at the first presbyterian church of inglewood on palisade avenue. they were keeping an eye on hotspots last night. chopper 4 was overhead as the flames ripped through the roof. some of the 450 parishioners watched the flames destroy the church. a 12-year-old girl called in the fire. >> the glass was coming out of

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you heard bricks falling and smoker everywhere. >> they're trying to figure out where they will hold easter services. it will hold a special meaning for the congregation this here. three men pulled from a house fire in queens have died. flames ripped through this home in elmhurst. it was before 10:30 monday night. firefighters found three men unconscious inside. all three of men rushed to nearby hospitals. none survived. the cause of the fire is unknown. police are trying to track down a driver who hit and killed a man in manhattan and drove off. the victim was hit at 115th street and madison avenue in east harlem. it was about 8:30 last night. he was rushed to mt. sinai hospital where he later died. police are looking for a gray suv believed to be the vehicle that hit him. 5:11. president obama about to begin the second leg now of his historic trip. plus, an announcement from starbucks.

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giving away -- >> storm team 4 looking ahead to a beautiful day. weather and traffic coming up in a moment. you're watching "today in new

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featuring milder temperatures to start. that means a warmer day ahead of us. it's a beautiful day. temperatures towards the 70-degree mark across the city and interior sections indeed. more clouds in the picture tomorrow. a little cooler at the coast especially tomorrow. it looks like wet weather moves in late tomorrow night and a soggy start to the day on friday before we clear it out and dry it out for the weekend. we're at 46. 44 in cornwall. hopewell jupgs nction at 43. the city the warm spot. an even 50 degrees. we see a few 30s across new jersey and bridgewater. the chilliest at 35. bomb pollen report, the most count -- temperatures in the 60s to 70. more of the trees blooming. a lot of cloud cover out there this morning. a few thin spots here and there. that's the way the day will play out. the showers and sprinkles stay

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in sullivan county, ulster, dutchess county, you play run into a sprinkling or two. mixing with sunshine at times. bright, sunny intervals. the closest rain is in the high plains. that gets in here tomorrow night we think and during the day on friday. future tracker, we're in and out of clouds. this is noontime. a streak of clouds across northern new jersey in the city. plenty of sunshine central and southern new jersey. more clouds to the north by the afternoon. by evening it clears out little bit. during the day tomorrow, a streak of clouds offshore but a more easterly wind will fill in the cloud cover. probably even into the city as we go into the afternoon tomorrow and again, that will cause it to to be a cooler day. the clouds cling offshore and through the coastal areas tomorrow night. no rain at that point. first line of showers towards friday morning. it breaks down like this. just beautiful weather for today.

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partly cloudy to clear skies. more clouds tomorrow. into the mid-60s. cooler at the shore. the showers moving in later tomorrow night from the west. showers the first half of the day. rumble or two of thunder in spots. upper 50s saturday, bright and sunny. near 60 on easter sunday. a high monday of about 61 degrees. lets get over to emily west. shortly after 5:17. any trouble spots, emily? >> yes. the cross bronx you can see delays here. even the outbound george construction is gone. a disabled truck on the cross bronx eastbound around jerome avenue. the backup past the alexander hamilton bridge. let's take a live look at the alex. it's going to be a slow go eastbound getting into jerome avenue. so a really busy go for you this morning. also, a live check near the brooklyn bridge.

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a check of queens at the l.i.e. that's over the grand central parkway this morning. if you are continuing to ride in the queens midtown tunnel, you will find a one tube is closed. the south tube is taking two-way traffic for a few moments this morning. in new jersey, there's a closure on route 9 southbound. berkeley township at harbor inn road due to a downed pole. alternate side meters rules in effect. new this morning, the first family is in argentina. the president and mrs. obama and sasha and malia landed in buenos airs overnight. he will be officially welcomed by the president there. president obama trying to strengthen ties of course, with argentina. he spoke about the terror attacks in brussels before he left cuba. >> we will do whatever is necessary to support our friend and ally belgium in bringing to justice those who are responsible.

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that the world must unite. >> while in buenos aires, president obama will lay a wreath where pope francis served as archbishop and hold a town hall with young latin american leaders. they're holding argument challenging the affordable care act today. one religious nonprofit group argues that even though they can opt out of the mandate, the law still violates their religious freedom. the vacant seat left by the late judge antonin scalia could mean a 4-4 split vote for the court. 5:19 now. in the cnbc money report, starbucks will begin giving away food for a good cause. the chain is pledging to donate 100% of leftovers to food banks nationwide. that includes perishable, ready to eat meals from over 7600 stores. starbucks hopes to ease the

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if you don't look closely, you won't see it. what's being added to the packages of some popular candies. it was a strange stand-off high above the ground. why a man is refusing to come

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one world trade center there. there's black there at the tower spire. this in tribute and memorial to what -- the attacks happened in brussels. the strange standoff in the northwest. a man climbed a sequoia in downtown seattle and is refusing to come down. he's throwing things at first responders, among them pine cones and branches and at one time an apple. he's been up there since tuesday morning. the police shut down the streets. the man appears to be having a personal crisis. >> i think so. you may notice something new on the next bag of m&m's. mars is labeling products that contain genetically modified organisms. it's to comply with a new law in

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of m&m's. it will also appear on skittles, life savers and regular gum. they reported last week that cereals will contain them. >> candy. you don't think of gmos at candy. >> it's time to start thinking about it, i guess. >> it will be gmo on there. >> going to be different. >> still taste good. >> gmo store. no gmo needed for the weather today. straight up 60s to near 70. a mild day. a mix of clouds and sunshine. gets breezy at times during the afternoon. it will be a mild breeze that will feel nice. a mild night tonight. partly cloudy. 50s should do it. 40s in the suburbs. shower threat on friday. it should be gone by friday evening setting up a nice looking weekend. saturday sunshine, mid and upper 50s. easter sunday, a sunny start. maybe a shower at night.

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so far so good on the upcoming holiday weekend. >> all right. >> what's happening, emily? >> we have a few buses detoured this morning. so take a look. keep in mind, if you are heading out, several of the new york city bus rs detoured. one new jersey transit bus -- a look at the new jersey turnpike near the airport. a great ride. if you are up, time to head out. it looks like good. thanks so much. ahead, new developments overnight in brussels. what investigators revealed and the latest on that manhunt for a terror suspect on the run. >> reporter: i'm katherine creag live at penn station, one of the many high-profile spots where there are extra police officers, extra military as well. we'll show you what heightened security looks like. if you're about to head out the door, take us with you. keep watching "today in new york." download the "news 4 new york" app on your mobile device right now.

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the e-class has 11 intelligent driver-assist systems. it recognizes pedestrians and alerts you. warns you about incoming cross-traffic. cameras and radar detect dangers you don't. and it can even stop by itself. so in this crash test, one thing's missing:

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the 2016 e-cla > ss. now receive up to a $3,000 spring bonus on the e350 sport sedan. right now, new details about the attacks in brussels. overnight, the police identified the airport bombers. two of them are brothers. the manhunt is on for the one who ran from the scene. >> also, police raids across the city of brussels. investigators turning up a terrorist bomb-making factory

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the strike abroad. right now, security is tight across our region. "today in new york" starts now. good morning everybody. 5:30 a.m. on this wednesday. it's march 23rd. i'm michael gargiulo. i'm kerry barrett in for darlene today. >> we'll have team coverage of the brussels attacks in a moment. the latest information overnight. first, a first check of weather and traffic. storm team 4's chris cimino looking at the forecast. hey, chris. >> mild start out there. temperatures near 50 in the city. 50 along the jersey coast. inland, it's a little cooler. but not terribly so. sayreville is 44. jacket wearing weather this morning. even with inland spots, not too bad. a lot of the jackets over the shoulder this afternoon. temperatures in the 60s near 70. we have cloud cover to contend with. well to the north, a few spritzes. across portions of northern orange, sullivan county, into

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you can otherwise, a fair amount much cloud cover to the west of us. there will be thin spots allowing for sunny intervals. that's all it takes to get to the temperature of 60 and near 70 before the mid afternoon if done. 5:30 straight up. emily west -- >> a lot of slowdowns. construction has slowed down a disabled truck. let me show you the backups near the alexander hamilton bridge. slow go east due to the disabled truck. jerome avenue, you should be okay. also in newark, there's a new accident reported on truck route 1 and 9 southbound. that's going to be in the right lane. weather and traffic coming up on the 4s. emily, thank you very much. now to the terror attacks in brussels that killed at least 31 people. new information on the investigation. two of the three airport attackers are being identified as brothers. right now, there's still a manhunt for one of the attackers. that's the man on the right.

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away from the scene. raids across belgium with troubling findings. investigators discovered what they're calling a bomb factory. brussels is shaken but resilient resilient. this is in central brussels. that's the brussels stock exchange building. they're adding to a memorial there. the french flag, the algerian flag and showing solidarity from around the world. it's about 10:30 a.m. this morning the day after the attacks in brussels. we have team coverage of the attacks. "today in new york's" katherine creag is at penn station. the steps being taken to keep everyone safe. we'll start with tracie strahan for the latest on the investigation. they're searching for one suspect and made troubling discoveries overnight. >> that's right, michael. there have been a series of raids in the past few hours. they're searching for one alleged suspect at large. they know identity of all three.

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the light-slord coat on the run. he's identified as 24-year-old najim laachraoui. a suspected jihadist. the other two, khalid and ibrahim el bakraoui. they reportedly wore black gloves on left hand that detonated two suicide bombs at the airport in brefls. that hunt for laachraoui led to police raids overnight. turning up another bomb and islamic state flag and bomb-making chemicals in a borough. the airport remains shut down to incoming and outgoing flights today. hundreds still trying to recover from shattered glass and nails packeder packed into explosives there. you're looking at the aftermath of the airport. there are a number of passengers reported missing this morning. isis, of course, claimed responsibility for the explosions that rocked both the airport and a train station

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heightened security all across belgium. >> tracie, it's shocking to see that video and you see people's shocked reaction. the mother holding the child and the aftermath of the bombing. so shocking to see. >> there were strollers left behind and baggage and things, michael. people really trying to get things back together this morning. >> absolutely. thank you so much. response at home has been swift. across the region, officers and port authority police stepping up presence at local airports. in fact, a live look at jfk right now. if you are flying, you may want to leave earlier than usual today. katherine creag at penn station with the changes that commuters there will see this morning. kat? >> reporter: kerry, at these high-profile spots at any given time, there are thousands of people here. the same with the statue of liberty for example. these are the places where there will be extra police officers and extra members of the military as well. members of the national guard. we want to show you what heightened security looks like. police officers everywhere you look.

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underground and the subway system. the nypd and the port authority have increased security at airports, subway stops, bus stops, tunnels, bridges and landmarks. there's also the equipment. dogs that smell vapors on people as they walk by. the commissioner of the nypd saying this is what he wants to instill in people who are seeing the officers who are out and about going about their lives. >> confidence. the idea that the public can feel confident in the city that we will do everything to try to deter and prevent an act from occurring. if one were to occur, the capability to respond quickly are there also. >> commissioner bratton and the mayor reminded people to contact a police officer and you will see a lot of them until further notice. if you see something or someone that looks suspicious. also something they say, kerry,

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sure. >> passengers were on a flight that left brussels moments before the attacks. they had no idea what was florida. the jet plane was led by a heavy police presence in orlando. passengers were kept on the plane even after they landed for two hours. bomb-sniffing dogs were called in to check the bags before an all clear was given. buses took everyone into customs and relief for waiting families. >> when i finally talked to her, she said why are you crying? because a lot of has happened since you were up in the air. >> some of the passengers who live in belgium, they just got on return flights right away to head home after learning about the attacks. right now, news 4's pei-sze change is in belgium. she's about an hour from brussels at this point. stay with us throughout the day. we'll have updates and live

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it's 5:35. time for a check of weather and chris? >> talking about milder temperatures to relatively speaking for this time of year. almost warm this afternoon. not as chilly this morning. starting out around 50. a lot of 40s in the suburbs. a mix of sun and clouds today. brighter points too. much milder by afternoon because of the west to southwest wind. things will be 10 to 20 miles an hour at times. you'll feel the breeze, especially in the afternoon hours. a few clouds out there. mild 50 in town. temperatures generally upper 40s to 50 through 8:00 a.m. 60 by noon. if you're taking lunch later, slip out about 2:00 or so. it will be in the upper 60s. forecasting a high today of 70 degrees. got a little rain in the forecast. we'll get to that in a bit. in for lauren is emily west. >> not too much in the subways. really mass transit is doing great. for the commuter rails, everything is on schedule. the verrazano had an accident come in on president upper level.

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with the buses, we have several detours. new york city buses. a few of them here. also the 704 new jersey transit bus is going to be detoured this morning. alternate side meters rules in effect. more weather and traffic on the 4s. decision 2016. the presidential race. bernie sanders, projected winner in the democratic caucuses in utah and idaho. hillary clinton still won more delegates with her lone win in arizona. she now has a little more than 1200 delegates compared to sanders 925. the republican races, ted cruz won in utah and donald trump adding to his lead with a win in arizona. of course, the attacks in brussels was the major topic on the campaign trail where republican ted cruz proposing patrols in muslim neighborhoods. >> we need to be directing our efforts at stopping that from happening. stopping isolated communities

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>> the last thing we need, my friends, are leaders who incite more fear. in the face of terror, america doesn't panic. we don't build walls or turn our backs on our allies. >> last night, republican front-runner donald trump says that he agreed with cruz 100%. he also told the "today" show that belgian authorities should water board and do more to thwart attacks. bernie sanders called the proposal unconstitutional and wrong. it's 5:38 now. new this morning, police are trying to track down a driver who killed a man in manhattan and drove off. the victim was hit at 115 street and madison about 8:30 last night. he was rushed to the hospital where he later died. police are looking for a gray suv that hit him. new this morning, police released new images tied to the shooting of an aide to governor

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brooklyn would like to talk to these three men and that woman on the right. police believe they were involved in a shootout that killed cuomo staffer. he was shot in the head during west indian day celebrations last year. a bronx man spent 20 years behind bars for a murder he says he did not commit. he could get a chance at freedom. the bronx d.a. is expected to toss the conviction of row sar yoe. he was found guilty of killing a teenager in 1996. rosario says he was in florida at the time of the shooting. he's always claimed that there are 13 alibi witnesses who will back him up. >> did they pick the right guy? >> they didn't always say they got the right guy. >> today's hearing comes one day before the release of the first digital documentary from nbc news approximate this case and

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can be seen at nbcnews.com. 5:39. happening now. investigators in new jersey trying to figure out what caused an historic church to go up in flames. it started at about 7:00 last night at the church on palisade avenue. chopper 4 in fact over the scene as flames ripped through the home. on the ground, some of the 450 parishioners watched the flames destroy their church. their pastor prayed for the safety of the firefighters. >> our faith is not in buildings. you do develop emotional attachments. i think about all the people who have been married here or all the babies baptized here. >> a lot of memories. the church is trying to decide where it will hold easter services. it adds that the easter message of the resurrection will hold a special meaning for the congregation this year. it's 5:40 right now. the e-mail from a local police

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>> also, police searching for a crew of thieves. the simple scam they're accused of using to steal thousands of dollars. >> storm team 4 tracking a big warmup. weather and traffic on the 4s as we look at the tappan zee

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5:44. wednesday morning. smack-dab in the middle of the week. probably the warmest day of the week. around 50 degrees. a little bit of a breeze out there. you can see the flags in the wind. the ice is still there. it will be there a little longer yet. not going to like the near 70-degree temperatures we experience today. the rest of us will. 50 right now. here's the southwest wind. gusty to 16 miles an hour. will gust over 20 at times. 24 hours ago, temperatures were quite a bit cooler. 14 degrees warmer. yesterday at this time, 15 degrees warmer in white plains. across long island, generally 10 to 15 degrees warmer north and west. sussex is coming in at 18 degrees warmer than yesterday

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upper 40s, sheepshead bay. jersey city matching that, 43 in sussex. low 40s poughkeepsie. long island in the 40s. down the shore, lower 40s. showing up in portion was new jersey. cloud cover getting a little thicker now. there are thin spots to the west of us. this will be a day that features just clouds and sunshine as well. no rain to worry about other than a couple of sprinkles well to the north of us early on today. but the next real rainmaker and threat is this system across the plains states. it slides on through as a cold front especially on friday. future tracker, you can see the clouds. more clouds from the city on north. more sunshine from central new jersey on south. could get 70 or better easily. tonight, start out clear. patchy clouds to the north of us. tomorrow the wind goes from southwest, though, to a more easterly and southeasterly component. notice this area of white. i think low clouds and cooler temperatures anticipated, especially along the coast.

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i think tomorrow is a big range in temperature. 50s across long island. low 60s in the city. dropping to the 50s by the end of the day. near 70' again across inland spots. here's the cold front tomorrow morning and a band of showers through the first half of the day. cooler on the south facing shorelines. 50s tonight. comfortable evening. then tomorrow, looking at a temperature of 65. the clouds building up, especially along the coast. that area of showers to the west, that's very late tomorrow night. probably closer to friday morning. first half of the day friday, could be a little wet. it dries out late. upper 50s, nice on saturday. easter sunday starts out with sun and clouds later in the day. not bad at all. maybe showers come monday with temperatures close to the 6-degree mark. how is the commute looking, emily? >> a disabled truck cleared eastbound around jerome avenue. the truck is gone. but now there's roadwork around webster avenue. one exit past. two lanes eastbound. backup all the way to the george

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it's going to start to see that add some time pretty soon. with the verrazano, you're going to find a disabled vehicle. upper level on the staten island side heading brooklyn bound. expect slowdowns with that. let's take a live look at the alexander hamilton bridge which i talked about earlier. the construction which is causing this backup and a delay back to the george, also a look at the belt parkway this morning near jfk. it's moving along. not too bad at all. a look at the lincoln tunnel this morning. looks pretty good there and holland things moving along okay. in new jersey, berkeley township still a closure on route 9 southbound between butler boulevard and harbor inn road. have to get a downed pole out of the way. more weather and traffic on the 4s. emily, thank you. 5:47. on long island, a driver died in a collision with a long island railroad train.

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the driver was on the tracks yesterday in mat i tuck. they're looking to discover if the driver maneuvered around the crossing gate. none of the passengers on the train was hurt. a group of thieves has been stealing thousands of dollars at banks and are using a simple scam to do it. we know that at least five people have been caught on surveillance. these thieves, we're told, steal money by distracting the teller during a quick change transaction. suffolk county police tell us this has been going on since january and they're warning local banks. 5:48 now. police are searching for three robbers who targeting victims in new york city parks. they attacked one man in morning side park and assaulted and robbed a couple in riverside park earlier this month. they got away with the victims' wallets and cell phones. they also tried to rob another victim on west end avenue and west 73rd street. apparently a bystander scared them off. the archdiocese of new york

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accused of sexually abusing a boy 30 years ago. peter kim was a long time -- the diocese says the allegations of abuse against kim were found to be credible. in new jersey, innings were heated during a paterson city council meeting. this was the first time that the city council faced residents at a public meeting. since news 4's i-team broke the story showing city employees doing work at the mayor's home. some apparently while still on the clock. that isn't all. city trucks and workers seen outside of a construction site tied to the mayor's nephew. >> i'm appalled at the recent alss directed at the mayor and select few dpb employees for fiscal impropriety ies mproprieties. >> they're charging us for all this stuff, the taxes and everything else. spending money like that, wasting it? >> mayor torres denies the taxpayers ever paid for private work at his home.

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videos shot by a private investigator say that they were doing personal favors or that they were paid in cash. a new jersey police chief off the job while e-mails are investigated that he allegedly sent encouraging racial profiling. the american civil liberties union released a copy of a 2014 e-mail where chief fox told officers that, quote, racial profiling has its place in law enforcement. the e-mail said that officers should, quote, check out suspicious black people in white neighborhoods. bergen county prosecutors and the state attorney general are investigating. it is 5:50 now. he was one of canada's colorful and controversial leaders. rob ford has died after a brief battle with cancer. the admittedly hard drinking politician rose to international fame when video surfaced of him smoking crack cocaine in 2013. he found himself embroiled in a series of scandal.

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outrageous but adored by the working class voters who put him in office. he was 46 years old. 5:50. the husband of the real housewife of new jersey, joe giudice will serve time. his wife left prison after serving a little more than a year behind bars. joe is facing deportation to italy after he finishes his sentence. investigators say that he has been living in this country illegally. 5:51 now. still to come, after years of fighting, what's soon to be legal here in new york state. impressive food delivery. the rocket on the way to space. you're watching "today in new

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>> our control room is almost this technically savvy. >> it was late. a spacecraft full of supplies on the way to the international space station. an unmanned rocket successfully launched from cape canaveral. it carried 8,000 pounds of food, equipment and scientific research for nasa. the spacecraft is expected to saturday.

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as a terrible ordeal for a baby seal has a happy ending. rescuers found the seal. it had netting wrapped around the lower half of its body. workers at the facility freed the little guy. only had superficial wounds that he can recover from. right now, he's rehabilitate ing at one of the seal -- look at that face. >> it's like a dog. it's those eyes. >> fortunately, they were able to get him and free him from the netting, which is so dangerous. >> it was a happy ending. we wish him well. meantime, nice weather to step into outside. we're starting out relatively mild. in the city, 50. suburbs cooler. in the burbs, you need the jacket early on. won't need it by this afternoon. up around 70. clouds and sunshine. could be a sprinkle way to the north early on. that's about it. partly cloudy tonight. pretty mild. tomorrow some clouds roll in.

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especially at the coast. a round of showers on friday. clear it up nicely. bright and sunny on saturday. easter sunday, clouds late in the day near 60. we're taking out the shower threat. i don't think that happens until monday. a nice looking weekend too. today near 70. sneak out there. steal a little bit of time. >> very nice. >> what's happening? >> looks pretty good with the commuter rails this morning. not bad at all. everything is running on schedule. we do have problems around the cross bronx and the george washington bridge. a live look at 20 minutes and building and that is due to problems on the cross bronx. a new trouble spot going the other direction. all the details coming up at 6:00. emily thank you. yahoo, the latest company to suspend fantasy sports betting in new york state. this comes after fan duel and

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kicking in new york. our parent company, comcast and nbc sports invested in fan duel. mixed martial arts fights poised to to return to new york. a measure to lift the nearly 20-year ban on the fights headed to governor cuomo's desk. the governor approves of mma because it's an economic generator. professional mixed martial arts fights were banned in 1997. that was due to safety concerns. >> it can get a little rough sometimes. next at 6:00, new overnight information in the brussels terror attacks. new details about suicide bombers as police mount a massive manhunt for the surviving suspect. take us with you as you head out the door. download us on your mobile device right now.

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now at 6:00, new overnight

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investigation as police identify two of the airport suicide bombers. >> a chilling discovery made during overnight raids as investigators find what is now being called a bomb-making factory. >> terror attack with heightened security in our area. "today in new york" starts now. 6:00 a.m. on this morning. march 23rd. i'm michael gargiulo. i'm kerry barrett in for darlene today. we'll have an update on the brussels attacks in a moment. first, we need to get a quick check of weather. >> chris cimino is here. >> michael, kerry, good morning. nice warm day headed our way. we're in that trend for at least the next few days. beautiful and warm by the afternoon with a mix of clouds and sunshine. more clouds in the picture by tomorrow. it will knock the temperatures down a bit. a soggy start to saturday. should dry out in time for friday night. we'll talk more about that in a little bit.

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43 mine hill, 44 hopatcong and the city at 50. down and around 50 degrees along the jersey shore. day planner, plan on maybe a jacket early in the morning. you will -- you won't need it by the afternoon. forecasting a high of 70 today. let's check on on the commute with emily west. >> i have a few problems. disabled trucks, construction. we've had it all. a live look from kai simonsen above the scene of the cross bronx. heavy delays on the eastbound ride off the george washington bridge. there is construction, two lanes blocked around webster avenue. that's what's causing all of the backup. there is a disabled truck that really started the mess this morning. if that's not bad enough, westbound a new accident reported on the cross bronx around the deegan. you're going to get it both ways heading in the cross bronx to around the alexander hamilton bridge.

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>> verrazano, there's a disabled vehicle upper level on the staten island side brooklyn-bound. two lanes are blocked. more weather and traffic on the 4s. now to the terror attacks in brussels. overnight, police identified the two brothers, suicide bombers behind at tax at the brussels airport. a third man pictured with him at the airport remains on the run. more than 30 people were killed in the attacks. at least 260 were wounded. we want to show you live pictures. this is from place dela bourse. crowds are gathered and a memorial in front of where they're standing. that memorial is growing by the hour. it's mid-morning there in brussels. we have team coverage. katherine creag has a look at the stepped-up security around our area. tracie strahan has new information overnight. >> that's right, michael. our first look at the man who possibly carried out these attacks.

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criminal pasts but nothing tied to terrorism. we want to show you now the man in the light coat on the run. his name, najim laachraoui. he's 24 years old and a suspected jihadist. authorities say these are the two people he was with. ibrahim and khalid el bakraoui. they're seen wearing black and black gloves on their left hand that possibly detonated twot suicide bombs at the airport in brussels. that manhunt for laachraoui led to a series of police raids overnight. that turned up another bomb in, an islamic state flag and bomb-making chemicals inside an apartment in brussels. meanwhile, the airport remains shut down to incoming and outgoing flights. hundreds are trying to recover from severe injuries caused by shattered glass and nails. possibly packed into explosives. there are a number of passengers still reported missing this morning. as you just showed, memorial

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victims of tuesday's terror attacks. the belgium flag is flying at half-staff there and at embassies and consulates across the world. it led to heightened security all across belgium. in a new dispatch, isis warned of dark days across europe. the suspect on the run at this hour. that prime suspect was detained last week. we also know that there's going to be a moment of silence observed across brussels just within the next hour. back to you. >> to mark the attacks. tracie, thank you very much. right now, officials are saying there is no credible threat in the tri-state area. but certainly commuters will see stepped-up security this morning in response to the attacks in brussels. "today in new york's" katherine creag is at penn station with a look at that. kat? >> reporter: for those commuters we've been talking with this morning, they tell us it makes them feel better that there are extra police officers here at

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also extra members of the military, the national guard, the nypd and the port authority, they've all increase security at airports. subway stations, bus stops, tunnels, bridges and landmarks. the nypd is utilize ing a dog that sniffs bomb-making vapors on people even as they pass by. a commuter says he feels better seeing all of the extra security. >> yeah. doing something about it. if i see no action, then we have something to worry about. >> >> reporter: mayor de blasio reminded people to contact a police officer and you'll see a lot of them until further notice. if you see something or someone, kerry that looks suspicious, don't rule out calling 911. this will go on for at least the next several days. >> of course, pei-sze cheng is just arriving in brussels. you can look for her reports throughout the day here on "news 4 new york." of course, on our website as

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we want to take a moment to check weather and traffic. we'll start with chris cimino with a look at wednesday and a big holy week that we're in the middle of. a lot of people will be outdoors for services. you think it's going to work out? >> i think the weekend is in good shape. friday might be the showery day. this is the warmest day of the week. temperatures around 50. 49 in dyker heights. 50 in central park. 40s in morristown and sussex. hudson valley, a variation. it cools down to 39 in newburgh of. 47 in white plains. 40s across long island. the clouds are thickening up for the time being. for most of tri-state. few spritzes and sprinkles. dutchess county, maybe the northern end of orange county into sullivan county. that's as close as the sprinkles will get. bigger picture shows the -- out to the west. first forecast looking good. a few clouds at 50. clouds break up for sun at times.

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60 at noon. forecasting a high of 70 degrees. emily west for lauren. what can you tell us about the commute? >> good news there. commuter checklist looks good too. good news there. where it's not good news, on the cross bronx. let's look -- pictures here. we've got an accident involving two tractor-trailers that is westbound cross bronx and that's right around the deegan. you can see that left lane is blocked. it's going to be a slow go. eastbound coming off of the george, you're looking about 30-minute delays. there is construction blocking two lanes right around webster avenue. so it's going to be a tough go there. heading into the tolls, yeah, about a half hour wait and building this morning. so both directions on the cross bronx, it's going to be a very busy go this morning. >> keep in mind, alternate side and meter rules in effect. ten minutes at the lincoln and the holland as well. more weather and traffic coming up on the 4s. >> emily, thank you. 6:07. moving now to decision 2016 in the race for the white house.

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the utah caucuses. front-runner donald trump took arizona on the democratic side. hillary clinton's only win of the night came in arizona. bernie sanders won both utah and idaho. he trails clinton in total delegates by 300. meanwhile, all of the candidates spoke about the terror attacks on the campaign trail. republican ted cruz proposing now patrols in muslim neighborhoods. >> we need to work proactively with the muslim community cooperatively like when law enforcement is going after gang activity, you work with the community where gangs are located. >> what donald trump, ted cruz and others are suggesting is not only wrong, it's dangerous. >> last night, republican front-runner donald trump said that he agreed with cruz 100%. he also told the "today" show that belgian authorities should water board and do more to thwart future attacks. meanwhile, democrat bernie

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unconstitutional and wrong. police are trying to track down a driver who hit and killed a man in manhattan and drove off. he just learned it was a 36-year-old hit and killed at 115th and madison avenue in east harlem last night. police are looking for the gray suv that hit him. sparked a fire that killed three men in queens. flames ripped through a two-story home just before 10:30 monday night. firefighters found three men unconscious inside. all three rushed to nearby hospitals. none of them survived. 6:09. president obama and the first family are in argentina now preparing for a busy day. they landed in buenos aires overnight. president obama will be officially welcomed to the country during a ceremony a little later this morning. it's part of an effort to strengthen ties with argentina. meanwhile, the president spoke about the terror attacks in

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>> we must be together regardless of nationality or race or faith in fighting against the scourge of terrorism. we can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world. >> while in buenos aires, president obama will lay a wreath at the cathedral where pope francis served as archbishop archbishop. he will also hold a town hall with young latin american leaders. the president's affordable care act is going back to the supreme court. they will hear arguments whether it violates religious freedom rights. some religious nonprofit groups say the contraceptive mandate forces them to act against their beliefs. judge antonin scalia, it could leave the court possibly with a 4-4 split vote. it's 6:10. still ahead, a historic church,

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hear how the community is reacting to the loss. up next, a new scam at local gas stations. a new device that can steal your info. scary part is you may never even see it. plus, weather and traffic on the 4s coming up. you're watching torque "today in new york." it's 50 degrees out there already this morning.

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slow, building african-style music it's the little moments that make the biggest waves. kalahari resorts & conventions the world's coolest indoor waterparks. for the spring break adventure

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welcome back. 6:14. a wednesday morning. starting out pretty mild too. cloud cover out early. the clouds should break up for occasional sun. not as chilly as the past two mornings have been. about 10 to 15 degrees warmer this morning. a mixed sky of sunshine and clouds for the afternoon. much milder temperatures.

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the wind gets a little busy. a warm wind direction. southwest at 10 to 20 miles per hour. pollen report, tree pollen is moderate. that's the main culprit. as the next spell of warm weather, the tree wol en goes up in a couple of days and the mold spore at a low level. orient 47. mastic beach, same thing. setauket 47. white plains, upper 40s. a lot of 40s in the upper half of new jersey. a few pockets of 30s in the distant northwest suburbs. sullivan county, into ulster and dutchess county, a brief sprinkle or two. a lot of clouds right now. there are thin spots and the clouds out to the west. that's why we anticipate getting to sunshine at times. next weather maker across the high plains bringing showers our way by friday. wonderful warmth for this time of the year. 70 this afternoon, city and

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cooler on the south facing shorelines. comfortable evening tonight. around 50 in town. with a partly cloudy sky. tomorrow, variation across the areas. more east and southeast. clouds will be building along coastal areas. temperatures staying in the 50s all day. maybe even low 50s eastern long island. it drops off to the 50s by the end of the day. inland spots in new jersey could get close to 70. showers move in then on friday. first half of the day, they've been sweeping on through. still in the 60s on friday. cool it down a little bit on the weekend. upper 50s on saturday, 60 on easter. clouds increase. showers on friday. especially the first half of the day. dry for the weekend. near 60 both days. maybe a thunderstorm monday. back to the middle 50s and cooler on tuesday. >> back to emily west right now. >> the verrazano bridge, a disabled vehicle on the brooklyn bound upper level. that's cleared. going to find delays there.

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cross bronx eastbound at webster avenue. a lot of problems still. westbound an accident at the deegan. a live look on chopper 4 of the scene. kai simonsen giving us a look. that is eastbound off of the bridge, through the tolls. again, a half hour and building. so we had construction eastbound at webster avenue. the roadwork cleared. there's an accident westbound heading into the deegan. that is involving two tractor-trailers. the left lane is blocked. going to be a very, very heavy ride. again, that traffic that's not moving. that's eastbound coming off the bridge and that's going to continue to slow into webster avenue. where that roadwork has cleared. expect delays heading westbound from the bruckner interchange on into the deegan where that accident involving two tractor-trailers. that is taking the left lane. it's going to be a slow go both directions there. let's head back to the maps. on the southern state parkway, reports of a crash westbound. around nassau road. that's exit 21. past that, delays continue

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in new jersey, berkeley township, been reporting this. closure on route 9 shut down southbound between butler boulevard. that's due to a downed pole. going to take a while to get everything uprighted and cleared out of way. alternate side meter rules in effect. more weather and traffic on the 4s. >> emily, thank you very much. in new jersey, sayreville police are confirming an officer took his own life. in a statement they called him hard working, a cop's cop. on monday, his body was found off of route 9 near the old amboy theaters. visitation today in sayreville. leaders plan to celebrate a groundbreaking housing plan. mayor de blasio announcing a rally this afternoon. the city council signed off on a plan to allow denser and taller development in residential neighborhoods. the mayor calls it one of the most progressive affordable

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heads up. you can guy bye gas in connecticut, personal information could be at risk. >> skimming devices were found on pumps in a dozen towns arn the state. skimmers attached to the pump record your credit card information. you've seen them at atms. you can tell if thieves have tampered with the pump. look for a sticker. >> there's a code on each seal specifically for that pump. they're going out and making sure that they haven't been tampered with. >> i guess i'm calling the bank when i get home and also i will be paying with cash. >> now, there was a broken seal and that helped a maintenance worker at the gas station find and remove one of the skimming devices. >> i had never heard that before. a last minute rush for new yorkers to vote in the presidential pry mayors i. voter registration system between march 10th and the 20th.

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new yorkers have until this friday to register to vote in the april 19th primaries. 6:19 right now. there will soon be a plastic bag ban. we'll tell you about a new proposal. >> you're watching "today in new

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the centers for medicare and medicaid

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quality of over 3.500 hospitals. t fewer than 6% received 5 stars. r among them was cancer treatment centers of america in philadelphia. cancercenter.com slash eastern. look at long island expressway. very busy this morning. on long island, suffolk county

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that's to reduce waste. they wanted to hear from residents and businesses. it would prohibit them from using single use bags. paper bags and reusable bags would be offered instead. >> you can reuse them. take them out for your dog. >> guaranteed to break as you go to the car with eggs. >> i have the reusable bags and then i forget them. >> then you have to buy more. >> they get grunge i, you have to wash them. >> we'll talk about that later. >> deep thoughts. >> let's talk about weather. nothing reusable about this one. wouldn't mind reusing today. 70. 70 this afternoon and clouds to start. breaks of sun and breezy. very mild afternoon. tonight, partly cloudy, not bad at all. around 50. the shower threat the rest of the week will be the first half of the day especially on friday. it's gone by friday night setting the stage for the weekend. saturday, bright and sunny.

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sun and clouds an easter sunday. that looks nice too with a high near 60 degrees. outside of friday, got a really nice stretch of weather coming. very good. emily, we're back. >> we're seeing delays on the hudson river crossings. a half hour again as i said and building at the george. they're having a lot of problems at the cross bronx, whether it be construction, disabled trucks. 20 minutes at the lincoln, 15 at the holland. a live look at the belt parkway. it's pretty busy too. that westbound ride, you see a lot of taillights. it's pretty slow. stepped up security across the area in the wake of the brussels terror attacks. >> reporter: certainly heightened security here at penn station. other transportation hubs across the city. you'll hear what people think about it coming up. keep watching "today in new york." download the "news 4 new york" app on your mobile device right now.

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now at 6:30. we have new overnight details on

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investigation as police identify two of the airport suicide bombers. >> overnight raids leads to what is being called a bomb-making factory as investigators uncover a stockpile of chemicals, as well as nails and bolts. >> you can expect to see heightened security here in our own area. we'll show you what's happening at transit hubs here. "today in new york" starts now. good morning. 6:30 a.m. on this wednesday. it's march 23rd. i'm michael gargiulo. i'm kerry barrett in for darlene rodriguez. today, we'll have an update on the brussels attacks. first, we need to get a quick check of weather and traffic. >> for that, we want to check in with chris cimino. >> good morning, guys. temperatures starting out chilly in the suburbs this morning where you need the jackets in the upper 30s to low to mid-40s. pretty mild this morning. 36 in belvidere. toward the city, it's warmer. 57 white plains, 50 or better along the jersey coastline. you've got cloud cover early on this morning.

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valley. that stays to the north of us. the clouds thin out from time to time allowing for sunshine and temperatures this afternoon. nice bounceback. plan on a quick warmup. once we shed the clouds, get into -- into the upper 60s. degrees. looking good. emily? >> about 45 minutes and building on the george washington. an accident westbound at the deegan. a live look with kai simonsen above the scene. that's westbound heading into the deegan. left lane is blocked. now, backup to the bruckner. a lot of earlier incidents eastbound on the cross bronx which is what is causing the backup at the george washington bridge. it's about 45 minutes as i said. it's a really, really heavy ride heading on that upper level inbound. you can see traffic is at a crawl this morning.

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thank you very much. now to the terror attacks in brussels. police identify two brothers as the suicide bombers behind the attack at the airport. a third man pictured with them at the airport remains on the run. people were killed in the attacks. at least 260 were wounded. wie want to show you live pictures here. you see a growing crowd. we've been watching this all morning. this is the brussels stock exchange building. they've been leaving forms of memorial that's growing by the hour. mid-morning there in brussels. team coverage, katherine creag with a look at the heightened security in our area. tracie strahan has new information from overnight. >> that's right, michael. nbc news is working to confirm reports that one of the suspects, najim laachraoui has been captured and arrested there's been a feverish manhunt for him overnight.

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look at all three men to be behind the attacks. he's the most wanted man in europe this morning. sources tell us that they believe this is 24-year-old najim laachraoui a suspected jihadist: we know the identity of the two suspected bombers who did set off bombs. ibrahim and khalid el bakraoui seen here pushing luggage that likely contained borms. the brothers are suspected of wearing black gloves concealing the device that caused the bombs to explode in departure hall 1. it led to raids across belgium last night. in one home, authorities discovered a nail-filled bomb, an islamic state flag and chemical products. isis has claimed responsibility for the ex pleases at the airport in brussels and at a metro subway station. black days across europe for any retaliation against them.

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of the victims. the belgium flag is flying at half-staff at embassies across the united states as well. there's growing concern for passengers still missing after the violence. again, nbc news is working to confirm reports at this hour that najim laachraoui has been arrested and captured in belgium. he's believed to have been at the airport in brussels and seen in the video pushing that black tote bag. but instead, fled. we'll have more details and update the story as more details become available. tracie, thank you very much. 6:33. officials say there is no credible threat in the tri-state area. but commuters will see stepped-up security in response to the attacks in brussels. katherine creag is at penn station with a look. certainly, we saw a big increase yesterday already. >> reporter: kerry, indeed. this is one of those high-profile places. penn station.

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thousands of people. there are extra police officers here, ex fra police across the city. extra members of the military. the national guard on patrol now. the nypd and port authority increased security at airports, subway stations, bus stops, tunnels, bridges and landmarks. the nypd also has a dog that sniffs bomb-making vapors on people even when they're passing by. a commuter we talked with says it's part of the new way of life. all of this extra security. >> i travel a lot. this is just a part of our new reality, unfortunately. >> you see a package unattended, someone acting troubling, inform a police officer right away or call 911. >> reporter: mayor de blasio reminded people, if you see something, say something. it's more than a slogan. contact a police officer if you see someone or something that looks suspicious. he said kerry, don't rule out

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all of this extra security, it will go on for the next several days if not longer. back to you, kerry. >> kat, thank you. there were several americans injured in the attacks in brussels, including a teenager who had his third encounter with terrorism. he's 19-year-old mason wells. he's recovering from second degree burns. he was hit by shrapnel at the brussels airport explosion with several other missionaries that were hurt. mason's father says he was a block from the boston bombings and in par last year during that attack as well. >> i think that experience of the chaos and civil unrest prepared mason for whatever he experienced today. >> meantime, shows of solidarity pouring in for the victims. the empire state building remained dark last night. the eiffel tower illuminated in black, yellow and red the colors of the belgium flag.

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flag. that's the gate in berlin. flags at half-staff over britain's 10 downey street and 1600 pennsylvania avenue, the white house. belgium declared three official days of mourning. right now, news 4's pei-sze cheng is in brussels. look for her reports throughout the day right here on "news 4 new york" and on nbcnewyork.com. it is 6:36. it is time for a check of weather and traffic before you head out the door this morning. hey, chris. >> good morning, guys. a good looking spring day headed our way. it's going to start out rather gray. i think we get breaks as we go through time. 50 in the city yesterday morning. down in the 30s. some of the suburbs, low 40s. few upper 30s early on. mix of sun and clouds as we go through time. the southwest wind is bringing in the warmer air will get gusty at times. 10 to 20 miles an hour. holding at 50 degrees. 60 by noontime.

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we get to touch on that 70-degree mark. let's get over to emily west with lauren. >> the rails look good. subways, no delays. everything is moving along fine. commuter rails, everything on schedule. you have a pretty good go here. with the new york city buses, we have a few detours. the m 15 and the sbs and m 22. the 704 transit bus will be detoured. alternate side of the street are in effect today. everything is in ekt if. alternate side meter rules. more weather and traffic on the 4s. >> thanks so much, emily. republican presidential candidate ted cruz is gaining the support of a one-time rival. big political news here. cruz just announced that he's being endorsed by former presidential candidate jeb bush. in a statement released this morning, jeb bush says the party must overcome the vulgarity that donald trump has brought into

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at 6:37. other news happening now. investigators trying to figure out what caused an historic new flames. it started at about 7:00 last night. this is at the first presbyterian church of inglewood on palisade avenue. some of the 450 parishioners watched the flames destroy their church and the pastor prayed for the safety of the firefighters. >> our faith is not in the building. yet, you do develop emotional attachments. i think about all the people who have been married here or baby baptized here. >> this morning, firefighters on the scene looking for hotspots. the pastor says right now they're trying to figure out where they will hold their easter services. he does add that the easter message of resurrection will hold a special meaning for the congregation this year. new this morning, there's a new clue in the aide to governor cuomo. the nypd released the new photos. investigators in brooklyn want

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police believe they were involved in a shootout that killed cuomo's staffer. he was shot in the head by a stray bullet during the west indian day celebrations last year. three men are wanted in connection with robberies of new york city parks. they attacked a man in morningside park and assaulted a couple in riverside park earlier this month. they got away with the victims' wallets and cell phones. they tried to rob another victim on west 73rd street that a bystander scared them off. a group of thieves used a simple scam to steal thousands of dollars from banks. five people are caught on surveillance. the thieves apparently steal money by just distracting the teller during a quick change transaction. suffolk county police tell us that the scam has been going on since january and they're now warning local banks. heading to new jersey, things got heated during the paterson city council meeting.

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council has faced residents at a public meeting since news 4's i-team broke the story showing city employees doing work at mayor jose torres' house. some apparently while still on the clock. that wasn't all. city trucks also spotted outside a construction site tied to the mayor's nephew. >> i'm appalled at the recent allegations directed at the neighbor and select few dpb employees for fiscal improprieties and abuses. >> they're charging us for all this stuff. here's he's spending money like that, wasting it? >> mayor torres denies taxpayers paid for private work done at his home. some of the workers seen in the video shot by a private investigator say they were doing personal favors or they were paid in cash. a new jersey police chief off the job while prosecutors investigate e-mails that he allegedly sent that encouraged racial profiling.

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union released a copy of a 2014 e-mail where chief benjamin fox told officers that, quote, racial profiling has its place in in -- check out black people in white neighborhoods. they're investigating now. real housewives of new jersey star joe giudice will report to federal prison today. he faces a sentence for bankruptcy fraud conviction. his wife teresa left prison in december. she served a little more than a year behind bars. a photographer at the home says there are police vehicles out front. joe giudice then faces deportation to italy once he finishes his sentence. 6:41. up next, a big win for mixed martial arts. why it could take over local arenas arenas. plus, weather and traffic on the 4s. that's a look by newark liberty airport. you're watching "today in new

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6:44 right now. we'll bring you the latest on the terror attacks. pei-sze cheng just arrived in brussels. where are you, pay ei-sze? >> reporter: good morning michael. we're not far from the station. the second site of the bombings that happened yesterday. that is down the street here. i don't know if you can see us with the crowd that has gathered behind me. yes. we are in the city of brussels. on our way here, there was a lot of traffic and frozen zones. intermittently, we would see some police cars with their sirens going off and racing to certain locations. but we had no idea where they were going. beyond that, though, we did not see a ton of extra heavy security on this route. police have been holding rifles, the show of force that we're used to seeing in new york. not quite sure why.

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to sensitive sites. that is what we saw so far. a lot of overnight developments. we know more about the three suspects. two men believed to have believed to have detonated bombs, brothers. khalid al back rue i, 27. his 30-year-old ibrahim blew themselves up. both have been convicted of violent crimes in the past and had links to one of the paris attackers. a manhunt is currently under way for 24-year-old najim laachraoui seeing wearing a hat. we have reports that may have been arrested nbc news is trying to confirm that. massive raids were conducted across belgium overnight as responsible. in one particular neighborhood, schaerbeek, they discovered a bomb making factory along with an isis flag. meanwhile, the airport, one of the sites of yesterday's carnage

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as teams hope to get inside to assess the damage and try to establish a timeline to reopen the airport to passengers. now, like you said, michael, because that airport was closed, we had to fly to paris and at charles de gaulle we drove about three hours out here to brussels. that's the latest from brussels. back to you. >> pei-sze, before i let you go, when you crossed the french belgium border, was there enhanced stops or more passport control? >> typically the european union -- >> reporter: it's really interesting, michael. as we were leaving paris to go to belgium, there didn't appear to be anyone stopping and checking. but on other side, people coming in from belgium or elsewhere into paris, there was a little bit of a police blockade and they were sort of checking, looking into cars. but it wasn't causing a

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honestly, it didn't look anything more than the sort of police activity than we see into the midtown or battery tunnel which is something we're already used to on a daily basis. that surprised me a little bit. >> absolutely. pei-sze, thank you very much. you have a full day of reporting from brussels. we'll see you throughout the day on news 4. thanks so much. we'll check nbcnews.com for her reports. time to check in with chris. >> mild start. around 50 degrees in and around the city. it's mid-40s north and west. emerson 45. the 30s in newburgh. 36 in bridgewater. colder spots. most of the islands in the 40s. lot of cloud cover this morning. the bus stop weather. maybe a light jacket needed. that's about it. kids may forget their jacket at school because recess and recess, 68 degrees. mix of clouds and sunshine. clouds to start. you can see socked in right now. couple of sprinkles off to the north of town this morning. especially north of 84. but for the most part, nothing

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the clouds will thin out. you can see the thin spots across p.a. and further west. we'll get sunshine in here at times. next weather maker behind my back. that gets in here on friday. future tracker, notice where the showers stay to the north. that's where most of the clouds stay. once we get rid of them, increasing amounts of sunshine. tomorrow, though, notice low cloud cover coming in. the wind more east tomorrow. clouds up against the coast but cooler temperatures as well. here's the cold front from the north and west on friday morning. scattered showers through the afternoon. probably out of here by the evening hours as things improve. again, 70 today in the city, 60s across long island. maybe a few upper 50s on the extreme east end. near 70 in long branch. low to mid-60s to the north. tomorrow, cooler on the coast with the on-shore sea breeze. generally 50s across long island. the city may start out and peak in the lower 60s. cooler new jersey coast. near 70 in inland spots. big spread in temperature tomorrow.

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gone by friday night. saturday, easter sunday, it's 60 with sunshine. we look for the next chance of rain on monday. a couple of thunderstorms on monday. emily west, tell us about the commute, please. >> sunrise highway, closed eastbound at tuckahoe road. the backup stretches back past pretty much close to east port. it's going to be a slow go there. nassau county, the l.i.e. westbound between jericho turnpike to glen cove road. a disabled vehicle in the center lane. a tough go there. we've had problems all morning is with the cross bronx. still an accident westbound. two tractor-trailers involved at the deegan. heavy all the way back to the bruckner interchange. you can find the huge slowdowns. 45 minutes at the george washington bridge. you've got about 30 at the lincoln.

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brooklyn bound upper level, two lanes taken up. backup to the staten island expressway past bradley avenue. into new jersey, 287 northbound at exit 2. accident off to the side. a pretty good backup as well. overturned vehicle on 24 eastbound at columbia road. takes up two lanes this morning. alternate side meter rules in effect. mixed martial arts, mma fights, poised to trourn madison square garden and other arenas. lifting this 20-year ban now headed to the governor's desk. the governor approves of mma because it's an economic generator. the fights were banned in new york back in 1997 due to safety concerns. but they are incredibly popular. >> they certainly are. 6:51 right now. still ahead, changes coming to favorite candy labels. we'll tell you what you'll now see. >> you're watching "today in new

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why do we do it? why do we spend every waking moment, thinking about people? why are we so committed to keeping you connected? why combine performance with a conscience? why innovate for a future without accidents? why do any of it? why do all of it?

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welcome back. 6:54. in the cnbc money report. changes to popular candies. mars has started to label products that contain genetically modified organisms. gmos. >> it's to comply with the new rule. the labels starting july 1st. the addition of certain types of m&ms and skittles and life savers. >> they're in everything. >> up next, we'll check in with chris to see if you need a coat or light jacket. >> you're watching "today in new

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brussels terror attacks. nbc news working to confirm reports that one of the suspects, najim laachraoui has been captured in belgium. >> sources identified two brothers as the u side bombers during the attack. at least 31 people were killed in the attacks and at least 260 now wounded. >> we want to go to katherine creag with a look at how the terror attack is impacting security there. kat, at penn station. >> reporter: indeed, kerry and michael. extra security. heightened security for a few days, if not longer. other high-profile locations where there are thousands of people, you'll see extra nypd, extra military as well. the nypd and the port authority have increased security at airports, sub subway stations,

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>> thanks very much. >> pei-sze cheng is in brussels. we had a live report from her and look for her reports throughout the day on "news 4 new york" and nbcnewyork.com. >> time for a final check of traffic. >> it's getting busy on the roadways. first off, out east, east end of long island, sunrise highway eastbound is closed at tuckahoe road heading into southampton. a disabled truck in the center lane l.i.e. past jericho turnpike into glen cove road. westbound crash at the deegan. deegan southbound at fordham road. 45 at the george. half hour at the lincoln. 25 at the holland. verrazano brooklyn-bound upper level, two lanes taken up with a disabled. >> all right. >> chris, 50 but warm? >> start out with clouds but occasional sun. partly sunny during the afternoon. breezy but noticeably milder. only 50 the low tonight. 40s in a few suburbs.

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65 in the city and inland spots. cooler at the coast. showers towards friday morning. the wettest part of the seven-day will be friday afternoon. the weekend looks good. near 60 saturday and easter sunday with sunshine. >> thank you, chris. the "today" show is coming up next. that's what's happening "today in new york." good morning. breaking news. reports this morning the man in white seen at the brussels airport with those two suicide bombers has just been arrested. he's believed to be a bomb maker with ties to the paris massacre. his capture coming after a massive man hunt, including raids throughout the city. today, wednesday, march 23rd, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," terror in brussels, with matt lauer in brussels, belgium, and savannah guthrie,